TABLE OF CONTENTS In Chapter 10 we examined some of the financial monitoring and control systems which are suitable for use by a small business. In this chapter we are concerned with the non-financial systems, which essentially fall under the heading of quality management. This involves defining quality standards, examining the ways in which we build quality systems into our products and services, and identifying the methods that are suitable to monitor and control the effectiveness of those quality systems.
The objective of this chapter is to assist the reader to:
Identify the aspects of the business which are critical to the provision of quality goods and services.
To establish realistic quality standards for the business which are relevant to the aims and objectives of the business.
To set up monitoring and control procedures which will enable those standards to be achieved on a consistent basis.
To examine examples of good practice in terms of customer service.
The three most frequently used quality procedures against which businesses can be assessed for accreditation are the International Standards Organisation standards, ISO 9002, for quality systems and procedures (formerly British Standard, BS 5750), the EN14001 standards which relate to environmental quality, and the Investors in People (IiP) award for organisations which meet specified standards in staff training and development, personnel systems, equal opportunities, and other people-related quality systems. The important common feature of these is that they are not just a one-off process. Once awarded, the standards of accreditation have to be maintained, and the...
